The Taiwan Scholarship Program

Cultural Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles

Introduction

The purpose of the Taiwan Scholarship Program is to provide foreign students with opportunities to pursue their studies in Taiwan and to increase their understanding of Taiwan's development, cultural heritage, and customs.

NOTE:

Overseas Chinese students who plan to travel to Taiwan in order to pursue studies should contact the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission (http://www.ocac.gov.tw), in order to apply for Overseas Chinese Student Scholarships in accordance with the Regulations Governing Overseas Chinese Students in Taiwan. They should not apply for support from the Taiwan Scholarship Program described above. Foreign students who are currently studying in Taiwan should apply for the Foreign Student Scholarships provided by their universities or colleges.

Types

(1) Chinese Language Scholarships: These scholarships will allow foreign students to enroll at university-affiliated Chinese language centers in Taiwan for the purpose of studying Mandarin Chinese. A stipend of NT$25,000 per month will be provided, over the course of one year. (NT$32.5= U.S.$1, subject to change)

(2) Undergraduate Scholarships: Foreign undergraduate students will be able to receive a stipend of NT$25,000 per month, over the course of one year, in order to assist them in pursuing undergraduate studies at universities and colleges in Taiwan.

(3) Postgraduate Scholarships: Scholarships in the amount of NT$30,000 per month will be given to qualified postgraduate foreign students in order to allow them to pursue their master¡¦s degrees or doctoral degrees at universities and colleges in Taiwan. Master¡¦s degree students will be able to receive their scholarships for up to two years, doctoral students for up to three years.

A student selected for this award is responsible for all tuition fees, housing, health insurance, travel costs and any other fees or/and expenses.

Eligibility

In order to be considered for a scholarship, the applicant:

Must be a US citizen in good health, and neither be overseas Chinese nor Taiwan nationals.

Must be currently enrolled full-time in a university located in the Service Area( Southern California , Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Caroline Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United Mexican States.) or have been enrolled as a full-time student within the past three years.

Applicants must concurrently apply to one of Chinese language Centers or one of the universities in Taiwan he/she intends to attend. No scholarship will become available unless he/she is accepted for admission.

Applicants who have already been awarded with any other Taiwanese Government or Taiwanese University Scholarships are NOT eligible to apply for this scholarship.

The number of Scholarship recipients will be reviewed on annual basis, the specified institutions listed below offer the preference.

University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Irvine University of California, Riverside University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, San Diego California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles San Diego State University University of Arizona University of Southern California

Application Process

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that his or her scholarship application is complete. A complete application consists of the following:

Interested students should submit completed ¡§Application Form For Scholarships¡¨ of the Ministry of Education of Taiwan, including a study plan and a statement of intent.

Two letters of reference from the professors of the enrolled or graduated educational Institution.

Academic records listing courses and grades.

Selection criteria include academic performance, professional development and career goals, etc.

Each institution will nominate its candidates and forward the application forms to the Cultural Division, TECO in Los Angeles before January 31 .

Applications will be reviewed in February by a selection committee appointed by TECO, in Los Angeles. The qualified forms of applications will then be sent back to the Ministry of Education of Taiwan for further processing.

Successful applicants will be notified by the Cultural Division, TECO in Los Angeles after MOE announces the official results in late March. The scholarship recipients should concurrently apply to one of Chinese language Centers or one of the universities in Taiwan he/she intends to attend. No scholarship will become available unless he/she is accepted for admission.

Scholarship recipients are required to mail a copy of the admission letter along with information of proposed date of arrival in Taiwan to the Cultural Division, TECO in Los Angeles no later than June 15. If the scholarship recipients are unable to turn in the above-mentioned materials before the specified date, they should provide written statement explaining the reasons. Fail to do so will result in the cancellation of the scholarship.

Should the scholarship recipients are unable to make the study trip, the specified institutions may nominate other students for the scholarship if the time frame allows.